Windows Weekly 1006: Are You Lying to Me Now, Paul?

Paul Thurrott gets hands-on with NVIDIA's new RTX Spark AI PCs and reveals why all that power isn't translating into practical results for certain users. Expect strong opinions and a few surprises about the state of local AI on computers. Plus, Tolaria is a free, open source, vibe-coded replacement for Notion that's based on Markdown files. And now it's on mobile too! Llama Windows is also free/open source and natively supports Windows 11 on Arm and RTX Spark. It may be the easiest way to interact with local AI on Windows. Windows - Microsoft discusses second round of pain points updates for Windows 11, starting with a new Photos app plus the ability to work well with just 8 GB of RAM - Six (!) new builds, including two to the Release Preview Channel - Microsoft Edge is working towards no-reboot updates - Opera Air gets a nice refresh - The Proton roadmap is spectacular - RTX Spark: HP OmniBook Ultra 16 - RTX Spark: Lenovo Pro 9n 15 - RTX Spark: ASUS ProArt P16 arrives with 128 GB of RAM Microsoft 365 - OneDrive is getting a Copilot-infused upgrade for files and photos in the AI era AI/dev - RTX Spark hands-on: Local AI is more frustrating than useful - Microsoft is working on a comprehensive strategy to secure AI agents - OpenAI releases an AI coding model for Visual Basic, other older programming languages XBOX and gaming - Report: Project Helix starts with a gaming handheld in 2027, not a console, with a new console in 2028 - Microsoft reveals standalone Cloud Gaming costs - 10 hours for $3.99, 25 for $7.99, 50 for $11.99 - ASUS ROG XBOX Ally X20 is here for $1300 and up - ASUS ROG XBOX Ally X20 is here for $1300 and up - AMD is bringing FSR Upscaling 4.1 to XBOX consoles, ROG XBOX Ally - *Final Fantasy VII Remake* is the star of the late October Game Pass releases - NVIDIA touts games already optimized for RTX Spark - XBOX highlights new indie titles coming to PC, console, and Game Pass over the next year - EA is shutting down BioWare Tips and picks - App pick of the week: Tolaria - App pick of the week #2: Llama Windows - RunAs Radio this week: OWASP Top 10 for Agentic Applications with Will Velida - Brown liquor pick of the week: Ardnahoe Inaugural Release 5 Year Old **Hosts:** Paul Thurrott, Richard Campbell, and Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to *Windows Weekly* at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com The *Windows Weekly* theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin. **Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!** Support what you love and get ad-free audio *and* video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit **Sponsors:** - trustedtech.team/twit - PaloAltoNetworks.com/Idira